Strict punishment sought for Chandu’s killers

In the context of the verdict of the CBI court and awaited sentence in the murder case of former JNUSU President Comrade Chandrashekhar, the All India Students\\\’ Association (AISA) and Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) have demanded exemplary punishment for the killers of Chandrashekhar.

AISA ad JNUSU have also demanded that the case against key conspirator and mastermind, former RJD MP Mohd. Shahabuddin, should be pursued.

The CBI court on Tuesday convicted three people – Dhruv Jaiswal, Sheikh Munna and Iliyas Warsi for the murder of Comrade Chandrashekhar and two others.

CPI(ML) activists Comrade Chandrashekhar and Comrade Shyam Narain Yadav, were shot dead in Siwan at the behest of criminal politician Mohd. Shahabuddin, on 31 March 1997 when campaigning for a Bihar Bandh.

A street vendor had also lost his life in the firing.

AISA and RYA raise following questions at the court\\\’s verdict:

Why is there no punishment for the man named as the main conspirator in the case: Mohd Shahabuddin, former RJD MP, who is now in jail convicted in other cases of murder and kidnapping of CPI(ML) activists?

Witnesses, including CPI(ML) leader Satyadev Ram, testified to Shahabuddin\\\’s role as a conspirator, and to the fact that the shooters were known to be Shahabuddin\\\’s goons. Why then has the CBI failed to demand punishment for Shahabuddin, and why is the verdict silent on Shahabuddin?

The joint statement by AISA and RYA says, recently, another young CPI(ML) leader, Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav, was shot dead by criminals enjoying patronage of ruling politicians.

Comrade Chandrashekhar was killed in Lalu Prasad\\\’s regime at the behest of Shahabuddin, and now, in Nitish\\\’s regime, Comrade Bhaiyyaram has been killed by BJP-JD(U)\\\’s goons.

The AISA and the RYA demand exemplary punishment for the killers of Comrades Chandrashekhar and Comrade Bhaiyyaram, and demand that the case against Shahabuddin as a conspirator in Comrade Chandrashekhar\\\’s killing be pursued to ensure punishment for Shahabuddin, said AISA member, the statement concluded.